


2099

by spinette_spyder



Category: Charli XCX (Musician), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: 2099, End of the World, F/F, Fluff, Future, a duck walked up to the lemonade stand, indeed, jet skis, maybe? - Freeform, squidward - Freeform, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:02:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28760013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinette_spyder/pseuds/spinette_spyder
Summary: TW: suicidal thoughts2099- a year of disorientation and isolation after the destruction of Earth. Countries are drowned in toxic water from global warming, icebergs, purging rains, and tsunami waves.The last remaining humans use boats/jet skis to scout for others in this time of uncertainty.Seulgi is one of these lost crusaders, jet skiing through the sea , feeling lost and confused in the apocalypse. Her life is empty until she finds Joy- the only human she has seen in 9 months after the drowning of the Earth.
Relationships: Kang Seulgi/Park Sooyoung | Joy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	2099

I scan for others on the horizon, only seeing fragmented icebergs and the endless acid ocean in my wake. It echoes in my head, the everlasting affirmation of this lost time: _the human race finally fucked up._

Finally, the shadows of my persona show their colors in the dark of total isolation, _we did it. We destroyed everything… and yet I am still here, pulling up on a jet ski- should I just die like everything else?_

My thoughts are shattered by the familiar sound of a ski revving up, and for a moment I think my vehicle simply automated itself until I see the silhouette of a figure outlined by the pale sun. An autotuned message confirms my suspicions, "This is Park Sooyoung, you can call me Joy if you like." The voice sounds pure, like honey mixed with the robotic crunch of correction editing, but still brings tears to my eyes. For the first time, the once vacant afternoon sun feels like a ray of hope as I speed up towards the human figure, the wind dashing through my hair. Even the whole ocean would not be able to quench my thirst for connection like a single human.

My jet ski soon lines up with hers, and I take a closer glimpse at this girl, astonished as to how human life has grown so foreign to me after only nine months. She's similar to me: dark hair, brown eyes and pale skin bundled into a black jacket, yet has an energy like an impressionist painting, strokes clear in execution. "Hi!" She says, a smile painting her face, "Who are you? You didn't exactly message me back-"

My words spill out clumsily, "I- I'm Seulgi, Kang Seulgi… I thought I was the only one left, I, are there more? More humans?" She giggles to herself, but reciprocates my statements sadly, "There are only 212 I and the other scouts have recovered as of now in the Russian region."

"Russian-?" my mind flips the pages back to the year prior, and without knowing I start to sing, "Heart bbbbeat, Russian Roulette~"

Joy laughs so hard she almost falls off her jet ski into the deep ocean below. I see red in her cheeks, and for some reason, it warms me up a little inside. The woman then proceeds to tell me, "You were examining me like I was a scientific specimen, but remember the song 'Russian Roulette' like yesterday? Ha, you have some fucking priorities if I've ever seen any."

My lips curl up into a hesitant grin as I recall my past. I profess, "I used to be a dancer, and that song…" I tremble, "was the last one I ever practiced. it's almost a century old, but I loved it so much, I-"

"That's so sad, babe…" Joy says, "Let's race to keep the old world off our minds."

"I can't go so fast."

"Oh, all you have to do is dial up the speed and stand up a little. It's not too hard."

"What if we fall into the water? We could die!"

"And what is life without the thrill, Kang Seulgi?" Joy questioned. My full name sounded astronomical on her lips as if she was declaring a proclamation to god, "Our negligent world leaders turned our lives to shit, so does that mean we should live shitty lives?"

"I don't think spending time with you is shitty. I'm just scared, okay?"

"Living in fear will only lead to a shitty future. I firmly believe that. It was fear that pushed the world into oblivion...well, forget it, I just wanted to have a little fun, is all."

A silence passes between us, severing whatever string held the conversation before and stifling the flame of her emotions. Could I reignite the spark again? "Hey, guess what?" My hands get clammy as I even start to attempt to do this.

"What?" She seems bored.

"I get a head start!" I type in 100 into my jet ski's control screen, flying past Park Sooyoung. Her face is too blurry with the speed, but I bet she's slack-jawed in surprise. However, that doesn't stop her from zooming towards me, teasing, "You sneaky bitch! Do you even know where we are racing to?"

"No," I give her a lazy shrug.

"Let's finish at that mountain-" she says, indicating a small ice hill on the horizon, "It's the halfway point to the region."

We rev up the engines of our jet skis, the machinery growling like wolves hungry for a single prey in the forest. Explosions of water blast our vehicles off, our eyes locked in fierce competition. My stubborn boat rumbles under the newfound pressure before speeding away. It feels like I'm a piece of paper flying off in the wind, but my hips stay grounded, legs encasing the wild jet ski just to stay on. Hesitantly, I crank up the miles, oblivious to whatever Joy is doing. My body staggers with the increased motion, fire in my bones as I try desperately to steer myself in the right direction. It's only once I realign my body and stop seeing double when I realize Sooyoung is already far ahead. Unlike me, Joy's ski glides effortlessly, water dancing in her wake as she zips away into the newborn yellow sun. Her figure is only a dot in my view, but I can tell she's standing up, waving her tiny arms as she arrives at the summit.

She sends a triumphant autotuned message, "I win! Wasn't that fun?"

"Yeah :3" I type into the ski's console.

"You are aware that the message said 'colon 3' at the end, right?"

"I miss normal texting..."

"U r sooo cute :3"

Soon, I find her at the hill, standing fearlessly on the seat of her ski. I break out into a nervous sweat again, as my eyes trail down to the toxic waters below her. She's so dangerous.

"You know, standing up a bit allows you to go so much faster. Wanna try?" She says.

I gulp, "No."

"Don't worry," she says. Without any precautions, she jumps onto my ski and holds my back, "I'll be right here. You need to learn to speed up properly if we want to make it before it gets too dark."

"Okay…" I uneasily start-up my ski, straightening my legs to stand up on the ledges.

It feels unbalanced and Joy pushes my torso forward, arms curling around my body to the control panel to knock up the speed. 20. We are moving at a walking pace.

"Seulgi, can you press that green button there?"

I narrow my eyes at her, suspiciously.

"It's to automate my ski to be on the same path as yours," she says.

"Oh," I press the button, watching Joy's ski as it joins us. She pipes up, "Her name is Haetnim."

"Hi, Haetnim!"

"She's telling you to go twenty notches faster." Joy flicks the switch to 40. We are now at a sprinting speed, and I struggle to stay stable. I try to sit, but Joy slaps my ass and tightens her grip on me with her other hand. "No. You gotta stand." She reprimands coldly, her icy words feeling warm and cozy despite her tone saying otherwise, "Remember, I'm here and won't let you fall."

She slowly turns the speed up until we are cruising at 100. My feet are light yet stable and my body is the wind itself instead of a piece of paper being harshly pushed around with it. A sense of calm washes over me, and the numbers lose their significance as Joy continues to hold me tight and Haetnim trails behind us.

"I think you got it," Joy says, loosening her grip, "Do you want me to let go?"

"No," I say cutely, knowing she'll do as she wants anyway, "I want you to keep hugging me. Like a teddy bear."

"Aww," She accepts and I sit down so she can put her head on my shoulder as we look out at the sunset together. The landscape is more vibrant than before and the air is sweeter indicating human civilization nearby. I can almost hear their laughter and bickering from here, echoed in Sooyoung's presence. Her spirit isn't broken yet, everlasting as the sun, determined to shine again even if the universe tries all it can to dim the light.

"Let's go eighty times faster. That way you can stay on your ass and we can make it before nightfall…" Joy says.

"Does that mean- I didn't have to learn how to stand? JOY, I WAS TERRIFIED WHAT IF I FELL?" I exclaim.

"You wouldn't die. The water isn't toxic around here due to the lack of industrialization in this region. It might get too cold, but in that case, I still have emergency heating pads under Haetnim's seat." She says.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I'm a bitch. It's so cute when you get angry-" She pinches my cheek like a child, and goes on speaking after I swipe her hand away, "I didn't want you to take life for granted as I did before, even in this dark year. There was a hollow sadness in you that I first saw- it was like you were giving up."

Tears well in my eyes, as I recall my static state of depression before and compare that to how alive I feel now, "You saved me.” I stop the jet ski and face Joy, touching her soft yet strong hands. At that moment, I couldn't figure out what to say. I just wanted to light up her world as she did for me, but I couldn't. "Th-thanks...thank you so much." I hug her, my arms wrapping her tight in the cold, Serbian winds. My tears sprinkle her jacket, not in sadness, but in pure euphoric joy. I can’t let her go.

She clenches my body, and leans closer, "Seul…I wish I could explain everything to you, tell you why this Earth is eternally drowning, " I can see her breath as she speaks, “but, I’m just a human.”

"You’re a wonderful human, Sooyoung." I separate from her, grinning confidently. She gently tucks my hair behind my chilled ears, and slightly touches my cheek with her index. “Here. For when I pinched them.” Her lips delicately deliver a soft kiss, as weightless as the air surrounding us. I squeak a little, my heart fluttering with the fleeting promise of love; a rosy fantasy I couldn’t have dared to dream before today.

The world is drowning in water, but _I'm still here-_ here for jet ski races, the wind flowing in my hair, and Joy kissing me as the sky showers us with hopeful stars. I can’t wait for another day- _another future._ -Sept. 19, 2099


End file.
